Field Posts DTN/Progressive Farmer

As a busy winter season of planning and farm shows come to end, we’re taking stock of the many and varying farm tech and machinery announcements that landed in the last few months, and there has been no shortage of news. From new farm data applications to advances in autonomous equipment, years of investment and talk about the future of farm equipment seems to be approaching commercialization, and Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Dan Miller has been keeping up with all the winter releases. 

Today, Dan joins us with updates from the National Farm Machinery show and other tech events he’s attended over recent months with more information on everything from new products to farmer reception. He’s seen implement advances, heard about roll-out plans, and done a lot of thinking about the overall competitive environment in new equipment, and who might be coming out on top. 

We’ll dig into questions around pricing and availability, interoperability across different machines, and what we’ll be keeping our eye on in the year ahead.

The March WASDE dropped Wednesday, March 8th, largely meeting expectations as USDA refined numbers, specifically around corn exports and ending stocks. However, adjustments on the soybean and wheat front also shifted markets, while many watchers remain focused on the South American crop picture as today’s main driver.

DTN’s Lead Analyst Todd Hultman joins us to dig into the latest world supply and demand numbers for major crops and livestock, plus offers insights into how these figures align with the forward looking numbers USDA published earlier this month during the Ag Outlook Forum.  

We’ll dive into the inflation picture and how more interest rate hikes may impact ag markets, DTN’s weather outlook for planting, and what the Russia-Ukraine conflict means for world wheat markets one year later.

The 99th annual Ag Outlook Forum ran this year from February 23rd and 24th, two days jam-packed with new information from USDA experts and lessons learned from across the industry. 

DTN AG Policy Editor Chris Clayton is here to surface the highlights for us, from a market-moving look at the 2023 crop year to USDA’s analysis on the livestock industry as cattle inventory continues to draw down. Chris will dig into the words of US Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack on the department’s priorities for the year, and the conversation he had with the EU ag commissioner, touching in particular on the war in Ukraine. He’ll also touch on headline grabbing sessions about the persistence of avian influenza and industry priorities around the farm bill and climate discussions.

We’ll also be checking in a host of other stories Chris reported on while in the nation’s capital, from a house vote on waters of the US to a growing conservation program debate.

The annual Farm Bureau meeting was in Puerto Rico, and served as a kick off for 2023 discussions about key ag-related policy. Everything from immigration reform to disaster aid to Waters of the US is on the table, and in the background looms the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill and the need to get another major piece of ag legislation across the finish line sooner rather than later. 

Here to help to share what he learned at the Farm Bureau meeting and what he’s been tracking on the policy front since is DTN AG Policy Editor Chris Clayton. He’ll dig the meeting’s spotlight on Puerto Rican agriculture, key topics that delegates were focused on, and what lawmakers expect to see as the farm bill process continues. 

We’ll check in on dairy and coffee in a tropical climate, where the Farm Bill budget might be at risk, and responses to the big Right to Repair announcement between Farm Bureau and John Deere.

The February WASDE dropped Wednesday, February 8th, offering relatively few significant updates to the January figures. In the notoriously quiet Northern winter months, attention was trained on updates to Latin American crops, especially in drought-effect Argentina– where the corn crop in particular is suffering due to ongoing La Nina conditions. 

DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us to dig into the tweaks that USDA is and isn’t making to key figures around global supplies and demand, to add some context around historically high basis numbers for major grains, and to offer some insights around recent livestock industry data that’s likely to a continue affecting cattle and pork markets in the months ahead. 

We’ll dive into what’s moving the market today, how to think about updates to inflation and a historically strong jobs report, and how growing US-China tensions might impact trade going forward.  

Then, stick around for a preview of what Todd is expecting to highlight at the DTN Get Set for Spring Ag Summit Series event on planting. Register here: https://whova.com/web/KjPI3H2MPlhF8c8CbuvSXkXavlZoE0ZAUhcbBfkBZAM%3D/ 

Mental health is a topic that’s growing more prominent in the agricultural space as more and more farmers and ag professionals come to terms with how important it is not only to be physically well, but to be mentally and emotionally healthy too. In recent years, conversations have flourished at national ag meetings and in local communities and peer groups as growers and those around them flex their skills at reaching out and helping one another, especially during stressful seasons.

Today, Rural Mental Health Expert Dr. Josie Rudolphi joins us to discuss her recent research on farm family psychology and how to apply what she and her colleagues are learning about stress and anxiety on farm to help keep your farm family and business healthy this year. She’ll dive into how children and adolescents can be affected by stress and depression in farm settings, and how to help them through difficult times with strategies around communication and support.

Plus, she’ll discuss how to identify warning signs, what resources are available, and even how to think about mental health first aid.

For all the resources and information provided by the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center, visit: https://farmstress.org/
To find your local Concern Hotline number: https://www.concernhotline.org/
To learn more about Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/